Traffic-controlling device



"April 3, 1928.

G. H. DAHNKE TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

ATTORNEY April 3; 1928.

G. H. DAHNKE TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mum Patented Apr. 3, 1928;

'UNITEDfSTAT-ES PATENTO 1 vGEonGElHnNnY DAI-INKE, or BENTonnARBoR,MICHIGAN.

TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING- Application filed September 30, 1925. seria l No59,65 3. 1

trol both. vehicular traflic and pedestrian traffic. Further objects thedetailed description. In. the drawings;

will. appear from standard beingshown in section. I p f FigLQisa'section taken substantially on line 2-5-2 of Fig.1 showing thepedestrian armrai'sed.

showingthe pedestrian arm lowered. l t Fig. {Lisa diagram of; a streetcrossing or intersection showing the manner of applying the; device.

Fig. 15 is a diagram of the circuits for conv trolling the operation ofthe motor and the alarmdevice and theilights- The device includes ahollow post orstandard 1 within which is rotatablymou'nted a stub shaft2 on which is secured'a worm wheel 3 which meshes with a worm 4 at theupper end of a shaft'5 rotatably mounted,

in suitable hearings in the standard. A pulley 6 is secured on the shaftadjacent the. lower end thereof and is connected by arbelt' 7 to apulley 8 secured on the armature shaft of an electric m otor 9 ofsuitable'type, the

I motor andassociated partsbeing preferably enclosed within a-standard 1so as to be, pro

tected thereby. A main traflic arm 10 is secured on shaft 2 at its outerend," so astof beoperat'ed thereby This arm may-be of. any. suitableconstruction but is preferably constructed,as illustrated with a hingeat a Hand an extension 12'whic'l1 limits downward novementof the outersection 10 of" the arm, the hinge ll permitting movement of section 10?about a horizontal axis; Suit ableguide strips or fing ers 13 aresecured to: extension 12 andserve to hold block 14 at" the inner end'of'section 10 inalignment with the extension of the outer end'sec'tion 10of the arm. Section 10 v is hingedly se-f cured at 15 to block 1% for"swinging move ment about a vertical axis. and is normally is hel diiiiaii nment withthe block b a; spring Fig. 1 isa side view of the device,the

Fig. 3 is a'section similar to Figure 2 but provided with an extension20 which jects beyond pivot 18 in the direction of arm 17 10 and arm17.jis disposed at rightanglesto arm 10 so that, when the: main"vehicular FFICE;

16 mounted about the pintle of the hinge.

upon a vehicle, thissectioncan raise -about the, axisof hinge 11 so asto prevent dam age to hec e. In the 'event that a 'vehicle shouldcollide'with' section 103. 0f

arm, thissectioncan swing in either direotion about the axis of thehinge 15 and will be returned to; normal po'sitionby the action lidingwith the main traffic-arm.

' of spring 16. This effectually prevents damm age to vehicles due tobeing struckbyor colilo A supplemental .traflic arm 17 .which is'intended to control pedestrian trafiic is pivotally mounted adjacent oneend at18 on a suitable bracket19secured to and positionedwithinstandardl. IThis'arm 17 is traflic arm is raised, arm'17 beinglowered,

the extension 20extends beneatharm 10 and 1 across the'path of. movementthereof. When arm 10 is' loweredinto operative position'it' that thisarm 17' is, 'when'in raised p0sitionpdisposed at an upward and outwardinclination and the outer'portionlof arm 175 1s much longer andheavierfthan BXtGIlSlOIl" 20. I This provides simple and highlyeflicient "means .whereby arm 17, is operated simultaneously with andoppositely to the main control arm I10,.the'se two arms cooperating toeffectually control both vehicular trafiic and pedestrian traflic;Movementof arm 10 in either direction is positively limited by, the endwalls of slot 21 in {standard 1 thru which this arm operates. In 'theevent that 1 M motor 9, continues to run fo'r a short time 7 7 after thearm has reached its extrenrieposh tion in eitherdirection; the belt 7can slip 'OI1 pulleys 6 and 8 thus preventing damage to an of thepartsof the devicei Downward-movement ofarm 17 is alsolimitedby 7' the lowerend .wall of' slot 22' and through g the side 'wallof casing 1, whichjslotacieom mcd tes arm 17. The standard 1 is also seaweed withasletaawtieh aeeenmeeaesr no A extension "of *arnt "17' during operationthereof. I e

The motor 9 maybe of any suitable or preferred type end--i's-control1edby "a rotary reversing switch 23 of vknown type which may be driveninany Well knownorpre fer-red manner, this stvitchsacting to reversethedirection of the motor at predeterihi-ned intervals 'ottiinei In the.diagram illustrated natedand when this armis raised the: green light 18illuminated, thus producingatraffic s1gn'a1"\vhi'ch is readily vislbleat night.

--- Inusingthe 'device an intersection such that illustrated in'Flgure4:, one of the 70 'devicesisplaedat each right hand corner asconsideredufron the direction of traffic, thed'ei ics inF'i ui-e'k'loeing indicated by letters A B, G and D. With the traflic going inRigor-e5 the motor is shownas connected by avvv-ire-24to -one side of asuitahle source main vehicular assignment devices'A'end' 0f electricalenergy B,xthe rotherlside of D are l-oWe'i'ecL't'he short a'r1nsj'17 ofthe Whichis'connected byvvire-25fto.arlerush 26 Idevices being raised,and theinai'n vehicl'e positioned-for contact with contact striptrafiicarins ofIthe-devic'esB and C stemmed; n 27 of rotarysswiteh ;23.'The other side of motor disconnected Joy wire 28 to a hrush 29 also,ipositi oned' toncontact -wvith strip 27 The-two lcI usheseZ6:;and 29are-connected tobru'shes 30 andwdl, :respectively, .positioned at the0thgf1SiCl6 ou; the switch. Upon rota tion-w-ofswitch-23 strip .27 oconnects brushes 26'and- 29 so as to v closethelimotoricircuit rotatingthe motorarmature f in :one' 'direc-' f cred-i Prefer ably, thou gh notnecessarily; 1n, l connection -vviththe devices at' A, B, C and D e l Ialso use supplemental 'devi'c'es' a3 6, eand which are similar in,construction'to' theniain" I devices except that one arni"10corresjjoiid 2 ing to arm 10 is used, the a'rnf '17 being? f omitted.These supplemental devices Zi,"-'b; 0- r and d are connected to the Inaindevices" to he tion After the switch5' -23-has turnedover a operated insynchronisnri therewitli' and 'so U) predetenmined -distance; thestripmoves- .that-wheni thef arms 10 of device'sfA andjD; outiofcontact;Withi-brusheS -ZGLand 29jand are lowered; a'i'nns10 ofdevices'u'andidfare}; intoncontact tvith;brushes 30 endg'31 again Falselowered, arms 10 of devices "5 1 ,nd closing theanotorcircui-tand-sreversing itsi being'raised when arms 10 ii'device,Bahd direotiontof rotation l An elarm' device, C are raised. With:the?ariiis joi' thevariousfl;

such as a bell -.32, is mountedonstandard 1, devices in the-positions-i'l'l'n strated'and?"dfQE andshas onegpole connectedi by :WlI'Q 3 3 vtos'cribedin referncefgtoFigured;jit wini e, whet-24. 'gThe totherpoleof;this bellis coni-i notedthat the vehiculartraific'isstopnedl iiil nectedfiby Wire 3410 a brush 35 positioned [one direction" while beingopenin theotherfor contact' withT-the-lstrip of switch 23 i i so as; toclose the bell-circuit and sound the Edirection, pedestrian"- trafficl5eing unob f V structed from 'ri'ghtflto'left as considered in 1' 0alarm when the E-mOtOIQ eircuit is chesedoand the -a-rm: 10 is HIQVBd'jinto lowered- "position,

i. this" View of thedratvings "and vehicula'lr T" V traflic Beingstopped-in misdirection. 'Thisj the motori beingdriven inproperdirection. rendersit safe?for' p edestrians to "cross the forfilovveringgthe-arn when" the brushes QGYintersectiOn in either-di're'ctionffromleftto ff, andsQQ anerincontact with strip 27, the arm-right and, as the lovvered' arm'si'm oi the dc being naised when strip.27 contacts vvvith vices Aend D are on the right: handside jof brushes30 and-31. Ared lightu fi is car- 'thethoroughfare as: considered from"the 'di- 1 :in directions "indicated by thefarroWs'; the 'le f the shortpedestrian 1 traific" :arms being i ried;b arms-10 at-the outer endthereo fzandg rection from traific, vehicles leaving the? v u v I mainline-of traflici can turn toyeithei'side,

37 tQ Wire 33, thenother side ofithis light inaking eitherxa-right hand'01; a left hand beings-connected by wirex38 to a brush 39;-;turn,-vvithout seriously, endangering 'pedes-g" Y positioned for contactvvith strip' 27. f'B y j'triain travelling acrossfthe "thoroughfare";thist mea nsthe-"circuitloi lightm36 will be from rightto left or viceversa? After -the 1 closed;upon thesounding ofi the alarmejand "arms orthe variousj'devi'ces havei-he'eii in the whil'e the v-armtisin loweredposition. I nmerelative positions diately;upora-ypassingg outiqofcontact-with. 'a predeterinined tiine, the -devicesfa're. s11-b1l1Sh6S-26-Lif1ld-29- 35 fllld;39, duringrotation simultaneouslyoperated so as-to' reverse the of switch323,*strip 217 contacts withbrushes-positions I 30an'd 3Lraisingthe arm-l0. -Whenitheaim v;pedestrian andvehicular traflie in eithefdi 1O ifitll iO'm d p 8 COI ZLAQ rection over the "intersection; The 'd'evi'ce'i u engegesqvitha-cntactALWhich is connected constructedjand arranged inithe"manner de l bya; wire'p42 to V xvire 25 fthe ,contact t0 .{scribed is very simple in-it's operation;and is"-' being rcarried hy arm 1Q and connected ashighly eflicient forhandling traili c 'a-nd' iri-v 3 -flexibleconnectiongt3ga nd-the wire ltoone tersectionsgand on highwaysvvheretrafiic is sidei'o-f-a green light 4:5- the other side offnnusuallyheavyand it is necessary toT imo-"1 whiclnis connected a Wire 4&to. ire87, r tect-pedestrians from attempting to crossthe thisgreenrlightgbeing mountedpn the arm stream"- ofvehicular traffic: is v 10adjaeentttheouter end thereofQ iIn this" whatzll-claiin is; I I N 1mannev whentheggtrmg lQ is lowered the is In traific- -eentrollmeans ofthe characterf g e alarm is sounded and the redlight isi1luncidescribed, a supporting; structure; a main 1 i one :side ci thislight isv connected by wire illustratedii F gu 415M711? of-the-armsthuslper nittil'ig'both l 7 control arm pivotally associated with the tobe operated by operation of the main arm, 10 I supporting structure,means for raising and and said supplemental arm. being adapted loweringsaid arm, and a supplemental" armfor movement through a planesubstantially pivotally mounted intermediate its end porat right angleswith respect to thefplane 5 tions to the supporting structure, saidsupthrough which said main armvis' adapted'to plemental arm having aportion extending move. I v 15v beyond its pivotal connection with thesup- 7 In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature. porting structurebeneath the .main arm g whereby said supplemental arm is adapted GEORGE

